Profiling Love
by Tempest2004
Summary: After falling on the ice on Friday in a parking lot, Dr. Spencer Reid meets a charming young woman who takes him as he is. But her past comes back to threaten the blossoming romance. First CM Fic, please R and R.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, this was sort of inspired by a dream. Now, admittedly, in the dream Reid was wearing Clone armor from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but that's beside the point. The idea of Reid and ice and falling on his behind come from that dream. My mind took the three and ran with it. If only there was a way to take what you put together for a fanfiction onto a computer straight from your mind. Or anything for that matter. XD Meantime, I'll do the best I can to get it all out the way I want. So I give y'all this and hope it matches your standards. If anyone is Out Of Character, lemme know and I'll fix it. Thanks much!

Disclaimer: Dr. Spencer Reid, Derek Morgan and the BAU Team belongs to...Whoever created it and CBS. Jessie Marco belongs to me. "You've Never Been This Far Before" by Conway Twitty belongs to Mercury Records.

* * *

[In Spencer Reid's voice]

_Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other._

- Rainer Maria Rilke

Spencer Reid grunted as he hit the ice in the parking lot outside the grocery store. At least he kept his eggs from breaking. Checking the carton he sighed when he saw the wet cardboard. So much for that. With another grunt, Reid tried to get up, but wound up on his back, staring up at the snowing sky. Muttering something along the lines of "-glad Morgan's not here. Wouldn't let me hear the end of it.", Dr. Reid tried again with the same results. He resolved to lay there until either someone came looking for him or the ice melted. The analytical portion of his mind retorted that he was likely to freeze to death before the snow melted. A stern "shut up" silenced the little voice.

"Hey, there cowboy. Need some help?" a female voice asked and he looked over to see a young woman kneeling next to him.

"I, uh, seem to have fallen." he said and she laughed. She straightened and took his grocery bag before offering him her hand. He smiled at her as she pulled him to his feet.

"I take it you're not from around here?" she asked and Reid rolled his eyes.

"I've been living here for several years. I just haven't gotten the hang of winter." he retorted.

"Okay, cowboy." she laughed amicably. "Come on, I'll help ya to your car. This parking lot is kinda of treacherous. By the way, I'm Jessie Marco." she said.

"Spencer Reid. My car's the red toyota over there." he said. Jessie laughed and Reid couldn't help but smile.

"That's great! My truck's parked right in front of it. So what do you do, Spencer?" Jessie asked as they walked cautiously.

"I'm an FBI agent with the BAU. Um-" he paused as she broke in.

"Behavior Analysis Unit, I know it. I'm studying to be a pyschologist at the local college." she said and Spencer nodded.

"How old are you?" he asked. Jessie laughed.

"Haven't you been told not to ask a lady her age?" then Jessie laughed again. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not a lady. I'm 25." she answered. Spencer smiled and almost slipped again. Jessie caught him, almost slipping herself. Reid realized that he was only a little taller than she was. Jessie had an arm around his chest.

"You're three years older than I am." he said and Jessie smiled. Spencer blinked as he realized how warm she was.

"How well do you slide, Spencer?" she asked. Reid looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"How well do you slide? The lot kind of tilts here and if we slide, it'll be easier to get to your car and my truck." Jessie asked and Reid nodded, shaking his head.

"O-okay, yeah. Let's do it." he said and Jessie gripped his hand with her leather gloved hand.

"Hang on." she said and showed him how to slide. Taking a couple steps, they tried to stay upright long enough to bump into Reid's car. They were both laughing as they hit it.

"That was fun!" Reid said, kind of breathless from the adrenaline rush. Jessie was bright eyed, redcheeked and smiling.

"It was. Hey, why don't I give you my number and you give me yours, that way if I have a question about becoming a psychologist and the FBI, then I can give you a ring and get my answer." she suggested. Reid nodded and pulled out the notebook he always carried.

"Here...You...Go." he said, scribbling out his home number and his personal cell. Jessie took what was left of the page after he'd ripped the paper off and wrote her home and cell numbers, putting her name at the top like he had on his.

I'll call you later." she said, pressing a quick peck on his cheek. She slid over to her truck and climbed in, smiling as he put his grocery bag in his car and started it. After watching him pull out, Jessie turned the opposite direction.

----

Knock on wood, Reid thought as he sat down at his desk, the BAU had been quiet lately. Derek came over and sat on his desk. Jessie's number was sitting out in the open and before Spencer could grab it, Derek had snatched it.

"A girl's number, huh? Where'd you meet her?" he asked, grinning as he handed it back.

"At the parking lot of the grocery store. I tripped and fell and she helped me to my car." Reid said, attempting not to blush. Derek grinned wider and clapped him on the back.

"Good for you, kid." he said and walked away.

* * *

Reid groaned softly as he collapsed into a chair. Even though the BAU wasn't really busy, thankfully, there was still a ton of paperwork to do. He glanced at his phone and reached into the pocket of his shirt to retrieve Jessie's number. He was nervous about calling, but just as he reached for the phone, it rang. Answering it, he was pleased to hear it was Jessie.

"Hey, Spencer. Am I catching you busy?" Jessie asked over the phone.

"No, no. I just got home from work. What are you up to?" he asked. Jessie sighed.

"Oh, just another night in the house. Hey, why don't we go out for dinner? You know, talk a little more." she suggested.

"I don't... I don't really go out much after dark alone. I guess I'm still a little afraid of the dark." he admitted. Jessie laughed.

"That's okay. You're in Quantico, Virginia, you're supposed to be afraid of the dark. Tell you what," there was the faint sound of paper rustling. "Give me directions to your house and I'll come see you. I'll make dinner." she offered. Reid leaned back in the chair and chuckled.

"No, no. I can make it." he said. Jessie scoffed into the phone.

"Oh, no. You, what, just got home? I can imagine you're tired. So sit back, relax and I'll make you dinner. Take it as a thank you for coming information on how the FBI works. Now gimme the directions and I'll be over shortly." she said. Giving off the directions, there was a brief moment of silence as Jessie processed that information, then she laughed. "I think we live across the street from each other." there was another brief pause, where the phone was obviously set down, then a second later when Jessie picked it back up. "Yes, indeedy, I'm across the street. So, neighbor, shall I come over to cook dinner?" she asked. Reid sighed and rubbed his eyes. He didn't really want to make dinner...

"Okay, come on over. I'll try to clean up a bit." he answered. After saying goodbye, Reid glanced around and heaved himself out of his comfortable chair. Throwing the few morning papers that had piled up into a plastic handled bag, then throwing his messenger bag into his closet, the living room was a bit better than before. Walking into the kitchen, Dr. Spencer Reid of the BAU, who had seen some bad stuff, flinched as he glanced at his "kitchen". Take-out containers everywhere, the waffle iron, a christmas present from Garcia that had burnt bits of batter stuck to it from Gideon's attempt at waffle-making, was hidden beneath a McDonalds bag. As dishes went, Reid kept them done and put away, so as not to attract flies in the summer or mice in the winter. It was just the take-out he scarfed down when home for an hour to shower, shave and change clothes while working a case that might present a bad picture. And Spencer wanted to make a good impression on this young woman. So, with the frenzy of those expecting guests at inconvient times, Reid disposed of the take-out containers and the kitchen was a marked improvement, with good luck and timing as the door bell rang. He slipped off the sweater, since it was warm inside, and tossed it onto a chair. He opened the door and welcomed his guest and her large bag of...Whatever it was, inside from the D.C. cold.

"I have...cheddar, pasta, parmesean, french twist bread, and enough chicken to satisfy thirteen chicken hawks and a hungry hound dog. I hope you're hungry." Jessie said teasingly as she set the bag down. Hanging Jessie's coat up, rather worn cashmere he noted out of habit, he followed her into the kitchen. If she noticed all the take-out bags sticking out of his garabage can, she didn't say anything. "Don't use this much, huh?" she asked, noting the nearly new pans hanging from the rack. Spencer shrugged.

"No, not really. I'm not home that much. Things have, knock on wood, been quiet lately." he replied as he watched her pull item after item out of her bag. "That's all italian food. Where did you get that?" he asked. Jessie chuckled.

"I'm a resourceful person. I have a friend who runs a specialty italian store and he gives me a 50% discount off of most of his items. Ever seen those Librarian movies?" she asked, setting the bag down. Reid grinned. Flynn Carson was his hero.

"Several times."

"Remember the third movie when Flynn was in New Orleans and the taxi driver said he had cousins for everything? Think of me like that. Mostly." she said and Spencer laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. I can see that." he said and ducked as a hand towel came flying at him. Jessie was grinning however when she turned back to the contents on his counter. He took a moment to take in her appearence. Worn jeans with the back pockets beginning to tear loose, a pair of black and white running shoes and a low cut deep turquiose shirt. Her body language spoke of easy confidence, like that of a person trained to defend themselves. She handled the knives in his kitchen with great precision and a keen eye for detail. She moved gracefully and quietly, making fast, fluid movements. "Have you ever been in the military? You look like you were trained." he asked and she froze for a moment.

"I, uh, no, I haven't. I get asked that a lot though. Generally from thugs who think they can rob me. My knife takes care of that." she said, chuckling. Reid nodded and decided to let the subject drop. He was having fun so far and didn't want to ruin it. "Do you have a radio or something? Italian cooking takes music and since I didn't bring a radio with..." she trailed off. Reid nodded and moved towards his stereo. An italian opera began to play and he turned to grin at her. Jessie's eyes were closed as the music swept over her and her head tilted to the side, a slight smile playing over her face.

"I take it you like it?" he asked and Jessie's sparkling blue eyes opened to look at him.

"I do." she said and turned to her cooking with gusto. Reid was assigned to finding the pans she needed. With dinner bubbling, roasting, and warming away, the two sat down to talk. "It must be great working for the FBI." Jessie said. Spencer shrugged.

"It's okay, I mean, I wouldn't want to do anything thing else, but, uh, it's pretty gruesome work." he said. Jessie nodded, nibbling on the wedge of cheese she'd sliced from the wheel of cheddar she'd brought over. "These unsubs-" he broke off at her confused look. "It means unknown subject. A portmanteau if you will." he said. Jessie's look went from confused to thoughtful.

"But isn't portmanteau combining two words? Like combining 'Megaton' and 'Electronic' to get Megatron?" Jessie asked and Reid nodded.

"Well, yes, but it's better than saying 'unknown subject' all day long. And believe me, we say Unsub alot." he said with a roll of his eyes. Jessie grinned.

"Very true, excellent point. So tell me," she paused and looked around at the diplomas. "Dr. Reid, where do you hail from?" she asked, guesturing around. Reid shrugged.

"Las Vegas. What about you?" he asked. Jessie swallowed the last of her cheese and grinned at him, before getting up to check on dinner.

"Cold, snowy Michigan. Nowhere near as nice and hot as Las Vegas." she paused and guestured at him with the spoon. "If you grew up in Vegas, is that why you have a thing for sweaters? 'Cause you like the cold weather better?" she asked. Reid shrugged again.

"Hadn't really considered it. I guess... I don't know, I've been dressing like this for what seems like forever. What about you, have you always worn jeans?" he asked, getting up and walking over to where she was standing while stirring the rosemary sauce.

"Ah ha, the gentleman finally asks about pants, I see where this is going." she said teasingly and laughed gently when Spencer blushed.

"That's not what-" he paused as she let him taste the sauce from the spoon.

"I was teasing you." she said, then grinned widely. "Yes, as a matter of fact, given the choice I will always wear jeans. I'm a country girl at heart, Spencer, and you can't take the country out of the girl." she said and wiped sauce off the corner of his mouth. "Need plates." she said and walked past him. He was still for a moment, his heart pounding, then he walked over to a drawer to retrieve forks.

"I can't tell you how long it's been since someone cooked for me." Spencer said as they sat down. Jessie laughed as she cut a slice off the bread, passed it to him, and cut one for herself.

"Hah, I know how long it's been for me. Three years, two days and fourteen minutes." she paused as she put the breadknife down. "I've counted." she said and sat down. Reid cocked his head to the side.

"Three years? You haven't gone out to eat once?" he asked. Jessie shook her head.

"I mean real food, not the fast food crap. No, It's been years since I tasted Mama's lasagena or Dad's special hamburgers. No, Spencer, I don't go out to eat at fancy resturaunts much. Don't have the right clothes for it." she flashed a grin and changed the subject. The night wore on and Reid loathed to say goodnight.

"Do you maybe want to watch a movie?" he asked, guesturing at his little used television. "I've got a pretty good collection." he said. Jessie glanced at the clock and shrugged.

"Sure, let's see what ya got." she replied. After arguing back and forth, Spencer managed to get her to agree on "The 40-Year Old Virgin" only if he promised to watch the new "Star Trek" with her. Jessie ran across the street to get it and when she came back, she was carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses along with the movie. "If you're going to make me watch that movie, I get to be drunk through it." she said and grinned as he rolled his eyes. "But don't worry, I don't drink that much anyway. A few sips and I've got a good buzz for a while." she said when a worried look crossed his face.

"Well, at least neither of us are driving." he replied as she opened it.

"Good point. I hadn't thought of that." Jessie said and from the mischevious look in her eyes, Reid could tell she had thought of it. Jessie let the wine breathe as Reid had a short argument with the DVD player that it really did want to play and could she show him how to get the "thingy at the bottom with the words to go on?", prompting ten minutes of helpless laughter followed by intermittent bursts of giggling as the opening credits rolled. Then she poured a bit of wine in the bottom of a glass and offered it to Spencer, who accepted it nervously. With the same amount in her glass, the pair settled into the movie, Jessie still sniggering occasionally. After two and a half hours, the ending credits rolled.

"You were laughing at parts, I could tell." Reid said, feeling a little more relaxed now.

"I was snickering, I was not laughing. There's a difference." she said. Reid snorted.

"No, no, there is no difference. You, you were laughing." he accused and Jessie chortled, stretching. Reid flushed slightly and looked away.

"Wow, look at the time. 10 o'clock already." he said nervously. "I, uh, I should go to bed... Um, I have work tomorrow." he said. The couch creaked and the carpet hissed softly as Jessie walked over to where he was standing by the DVD case.

"It's friday night, Spencer. Tomorrow is saturday, so unless you have an emergency at work, you don't have to go in." she said and there was a softness that made Spencer more uncomfortable than before.

"Oh-oh, really? I guess, I, um, had, you know, forgotten." he stammered, swallowing hard. Jessie looked at him and backed away.

"It is late. I'll go." she said and grabbed her "Star Trek" DVD, turning to leave. The words tumbled out before Spencer could catch them.

"Wait, don't-don't go." he said, trying to shrug off the awkward, boyish feeling.

"We don't have to. It was a friendly evening, and it's probably the wine anyway." Jessie said as she turned to look at him. Reid breathed deep, moved over to her, and hesitated.

"I-I...Oh, dammit." he muttered and kissed her as gently as he could. The plastic DVD case gave a soft "thump" and the wrap to protect the cover crinkled as it hit the carpeted floor.

* * *

Humming the third measure to Bach's fifth symphony, Spencer made sure the eggs were completely broken and mixed together before dumping them into the buttered pan. The sausage sizzled as he turned them and he tried not to grin too hard as the second step above the bottom stair creaked slightly. A pair of warms arms slipped around his waist as he tilted the pan slightly to even out the eggs.

"And here I thought you couldn't cook." Jessie said as he turned to put an arm around her shoulders.

"I am a man of many talents." he said, kissing her. Jessie chuckled and kissed back, before pulling away.

"Plates." she said at his confused look. He watched her walk away, absurdly pleased to see she was wearing one of his pink shirts and the Snoopy boxers from Garcia. Then he yelped as the grease from the sausage spat and hit the back of his hand. Muttering darkly about pigs under his breath, he turned the heat down before attending to the eggs.

"I'll want those back, you know." he said, scraping the eggs away from sticking to the side of the pan.

"The shirt or the boxers? I get to keep one of them." Jessie said, reaching into the fridge for the cheddar left from last night. "Do you have a... Never mind." she said as she got the cheese grater. Spencer moved over to let her into the pan.

"Keep the boxers, but I get my shirt back." he said, pulling her hair aside to nibble on her ear. She giggled and stepped lightly on his foot.

"You'll have to take the shirt back." she teased and he would have if his cell phone hadn't gone off.

"Ugh, hold that thought." he said and went to answer it. "Dr. Reid." he said, recongizing Morgan's number.

"Hey kid, what are you up to?" Derek asked. Reid was a second late in answering as Jessie caught his attention and smiled as she tugged at the shirt.

"Oh, uh, just enjoying the morning. Something going on at work?" he asked. Derek laughed over the phone.

"No, I was wondering if you want to go out tonight? You can tell me about your...new friend. Is something wrong?" Derek asked as Reid's breath hitched. Jessie tugged shirt back down and grinned wickedly as she kept working on breakfast. Swallowing again, Reid turned to look out the window and focus on his conversation.

"Nothing's wrong." he replied and cursed the squeak in his voice. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "No, nothing's wrong. It's...pretty great actually. We had dinner last night and... Can I bring her with tonight? I, uh, I think you'll like her." he said and there was a chuckle on Morgan's end of the phone.

"Sure. I'll call you later when you aren't so busy. Talk to you later, Reid." Derek said. Spencer said goodbye and hung up the phone. When he turned around, Jessie was innocently holding two plates and smiling.

"I believe I asked for my shirt back." he said and Jessie put the plates down, backed away and squealed before darting for the stairs, the youngest member of the BAU hot on her heels.

----------

Derek grinned and waved from his car as the red toyota Reid normally drove pulled up. The vehicle came to a halt and the grin widened slightly as a red headed woman stepped out of the passengers side.

"My man." Morgan muttered as he walked over to greet his friend and his girlfriend. Reid greeted him enthusiastically and guestured at his companion.

"Jessie Marco, Derek Morgan." he said and two shook hands. Her firm grip threw him a little, but he grinned anyway.

"Nice to meet ya. What do you say we go in? There's no wait or cover charge here." he said and herded the younger pair inside. It was a well-lit, if slightly smoky bar that had elements of a honky-tonk and a more eastern-type club. The live band alternated between country and pop, playing the occasional slow song between the high-beat faster paced songs.

"This is nice." Reid said, taking Jessie's coat. Morgan nodded and took a moment to observe the woman his friend was dating. She cut a nice figure, he'd give her that, and she was a sharp dresser. The jeans weren't the highest of high quality but they fit and looked good, the gray shirt flattered her torso and the bright necklace shined in the lights of the bar. Jessie Marco had good taste, Morgan decided and by the way she smiled at Reid, she had impeccable taste in men.

"Can we get something to eat? We, uh, missed dinner." Jessie said as Spencer flushed.

"Sure, there's a table over there." he said. _Yeah, I'll bet you two missed dinner. But if Reid's happy with you, so am I._ Morgan thought, keeping a tight leash on his mouth. "It's my treat tonight, guys, so don't go overboard." he said. Spencer laughed and leaned over to Jessie.

"Derek's generous with his time, but a little tight with his wallet." Reid teased and Derek made a face.

"Yeah, just because I've got it, doesn't mean I have to spend it." he retorted and looked at Jessie, who was smiling slightly.

"There's nothing wrong with saving your money. It just means you have more to spend on something later." she said and Derek shook his head. Finally they decided on their order and a half-hour later, the food finally appeared. Derek made a mental note not to come back to the bar if he hadn't had dinner. The food was good though, making up for the wait.

"So what do you do for a living?" Derek asked. Jessie shrugged.

"I work at a bookstore and take a nightshift at a Starbucks every other week. The bookstore pays the bills and Starbucks helps keep everything balanced. I put some of the money away to help pay for college." she replied and Derek nodded.

"I didn't know you worked at a bookstore." Reid said and Jessie shrugged.

"You didn't ask." she said, a grin tilting onto her face. Derek blinked. Reid was, by all appearences, serious about this girl and he didn't know what she did for a living?

"So, where do you live?" Derek asked and Reid grinned.

"That's the funny thing. She lives across the street." he said and there was a pleased air to him that Morgan hated to burst. A song came on and Jessie's face lit up.

"Ooh, I like this one. Wanna dance?" she asked. Reid flushed.

"Oh, no, I don't dance." he said as Jessie got up from her chair.

"How can you not dance?" she asked and there was a twinkling in her eyes that Derek was familiar with. Spencer's flush deepened and he looked to Morgan for help, who only shook his head.

"I just... I've never danced before." he replied and Jessie laughed.

"There's a first time for everything, _mi amor_, now come on. I'll help you." she said and Reid reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled out of the chair.

--

Jessie covered her mouth as, moments later, Reid moved stiffly to the music. She caught his hands and shook her head, stifling the laughter with sheer willpower.

"First, don't ever do that again. Second, relax, just go with the music." she said as her hips moved side-to-side with the beat. Spencer shook his head.

"I don't... I can't do that." he protested. Jessie shook her head.

"Close your eyes." she instructed and Reid looked around at the other dancers. All four of them.

"The other dancers..." he trailed off as she cupped his face.

"Don't exist. On the dance floor, the only one who matters is your partner. When you dance with someone, you create your own little world where no one else exists. No one." she said and the band struck up a slow song. "Good, a slow song. Here, let's try it this way." she said and slipped her hand in his, while her other hand guided his hand to rest on her lower back, while she put her free hand on his shoulder. "There, now move with me." she said and the steps weren't professional, they moved in circles and Reid was stiff and straight as a board, but their own little world began to weave around them. As the beat continued, Spencer relaxed enough for Jessie to move closer without endangering her toes.

"This is...much better." Spencer murmured after a moment. Jessie smiled, resting her head against his chest.

"Agreed." she said and the song ended. The beat picked up and Spencer was confident enough to follow her advice to go with the music. Their little world was interrupted as an unwelcome presence in the form of King Kong's third cousin on the slightly more evolved primate scale butted in.

"Hey, honey, why don't you leave the pipsqueak and dance with a real man." the bruiser said and Jessie grinned at Spencer.

"Sure." she said and pointedly moved away to continue dancing with Spencer, who looked like he was almost ready to bolt. Bruiser didn't like that.

"I said, leave the pipsqueak and dance with me." he growled and grabbed her arm. Jessie snarled and landed a right-hook on his jaw, releasing his grip as he toppled to the floor. His buddies stared at her, as did the other patrons. Spencer was wider eyed than all of them.

"You baboons wanna try it?" she growled and the two grabbed their friend and hustled away. Jessie closed her eyes, letting the anger and adrenaline subside and managed a grin as she turned to find Spencer staring at her. "Spencer, I-" she broke off as he hurried off the floor. Sighing in frustration at having her evening rudely interrupted, she glanced at the band and grinned as an idea blossomed. She hurried over to the band leader and requested a song and asked them to play it immediately. Thankfully at the end of a song, the music took on a softer sound, with a melodic tap to it that caught Reid's attention. He turned to see a familiar figure backlit with the spotlight.

_I can almost hear the stillness_

_As it yields to the sound of your heart beating (bum, bum, bum)_

_And I can almost hear the echo_

_Of the thoughts that I know you must be thinking. (bum, bum, bum)_

_And I can feel your body tremble_

_As you wonder what this moment holds in store (bum, bum, bum)_

_And as I put my arms around you_

_I can tell you've never been this far before. (bum, bum, bum)_

Jessie moved and spun in the light, silently wishing that the brute had never interrupted them, but what was done was done and she hoped this little stunt worked. Glancing over, she saw his eyes were fixed on her as the words and music of Conway Twitty filled the air.

_I don't know what I'm saying_

_As my tremblin' fingers touch forbidden places (bum, bum, bum)_

_I only know that I've waited_

_For so long for the chance that we are taking. (bum, bum, bum)_

_I don't know and I don't care_

_What made you tell him you don't love him anymore (bum, bum, bum)_

_And as I taste your tender kisses _

_I can tell you've never been this far before. (bum, bum, bum)_

Morgan had to give the girl one thing, she didn't give up easily. Slowly, Spencer took one step, then another, until he was crossing the floor to her. The woman Morgan was chatting with, watched the spectacle with a half-sneer.

"Why would she want that scrawny, little..." she trailed off after turning to see Derek walking away. "Where are you going?!" she demanded shrilly.

"That 'scrawny, little' is my friend, lady." he snapped and walked over to another lady who had been giving him smiles all evening.

_And as I take the love you're givin'_

_I can feel the tension building in your mind_

_(Bum, bum, bum) (bum, bum, bum)_

_And you're wonderin' if tomorrow_

_I'll still love you like I'm lovin' you tonight_

_(Bum, bum, bum) (bum, bum, bum)_

_You have no way of knowin'_

_But tonight will only make me love you more_

_And I hope that you'll believe me_

_'Cause I know you've never been this far before..._

_(Bum, bum, bum.) (bum, bum, bum.) (bum, bum, bum...)_

"Am I forgiven?" Jessie asked as Spencer relented and pulled her into his arms. He was silent as he spun her away, then back.

"I was never angry, just... I guess frightened. I'm still not used to dealing with bullies." he said. "I'm an FBI agent and I help track down and catch serial killers, but dealing with..." he trailed off as he tried to think of the word.

"Ruffians?" Jessie suggested with a giggle. Spencer raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't say that. Oaf, maybe." he said and Jessie laughed.

"I'm sorry, I can just imagine you saying 'ruffian'." she said and giggled harder when he huffed and spun her away, then back.

"Do I look I come from 1800's britan?" he asked. Jessie took a few minutes in answering, taking advantage of the song ending to pull him off the floor and back to their table before she answered.

"You do, sometimes." she said and Reid rolled his eyes as the waitress came up. Placing an order for drinks, they watched as Morgan and the woman he was with, take the dance floor.

"Okay, so where did you learn to throw a punch like that?" Spencer asked after they had something to drink.

"Four brothers and self-defense class." Jessie answered and Reid shook his head.

"Will I ever learn everything about you?" he asked rhetorically. Jessie stood, turned and sat down in his lap.

"If the universe were to learn the inner workings of a woman's mind, it would go insane. Sir Terry Prachett. Now figure that out, Doctor."

* * *

Stretching under the covers, Reid groaned softly, feeling an ache from all that dancing. He glanced over and saw Jessie was gone. This didn't bother him, he'd gotten up first the morning before anyway. As he rolled out of bed and stumbled towards his bathroom he paused for a second as he heard singing coming from down stairs.

"_I don't know what I'm saying as my tremblin' fingers touch forbidden places (bum, bum, bum)_..." came the voice drifting up from the kitchen. He smiled slightly and completed his trip to bathroom. The hot shower felt good and washed away the rest of the cobwebs from his mind. As he dressed, he heard the bedroom door open and he sniffed, catching the smell of fresh coffee.

"Mmm, coffee." he said, a near-perfect imitation of Homer Simpson.

"You forgot to drool." Jessie said teasingly and Spencer rolled his eyes.

"I don't drool." he retorted and Jessie giggled.

"The pillows would like to object." she said and began to sit down when he pulled her into his lap.

"The pillows can stuff it." he replied grumpily before taking his first sip of coffee. The ensuing smile was unmistakable.

"Whoo, note to self, don't be snide to boyfriend before first taste of coffee." Jessie said, slipping her arms around his neck. When he kissed her, she tasted the fresh coffee.

"Sorry, I just love my coffee." he said and let her up. Jessie giggled as he downed almost half the cup in one gulp.

"Obviously. Well, walk this way, sir, and I'll refill your cup for you." she said and lead him towards the door. When they were almost there, Spencer had a sudden thought and put the coffee down on the dresser, then looped his arm around her waist.

"Oh, I have a better idea." he murmured and Jessie laughed.

----

The day passed without incident as they spent it in the house. Only once did Jessie leave and that was to get clothes from her place. Sitting together on the couch, they watched a movie.

"It's too bad tomorrow is monday." Reid murmured. Jessie shrugged.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it still can't be a good day. Long as you don't get called out on assignment." she said and Reid nodded.

"True. What did you think of Morgan?" Spencer asked. Jessie leaned back against him.

"I liked him. Who else do you work with?" she asked. Spencer shook his head.

"Well, my boss Aaron Hotchner, the supervisiory agent David Rossi, my fellow special agents Emily Prentiss, Derek, and our tech guru Penolpe Garcia." he said. "Then there's the police departments we work with." he said and Jessie nodded.

"Makes sense. Have you ever had a girlfriend before?" she asked and Reid hesitated before answering.

"I, uh, no, no I haven't." he said and Jessie smiled happily.

"Then I'm happy to be the first." she replied and Reid looked down at her. He was silent as he kissed the top of her head.

"So am I." he whispered.

* * *

TBC

------

+7/


	2. Chapter 2

The second chapter already? Wow! I have fun writing this. It's been a while since I have enjoyed writing a fanfiction. Anyway, now that you've seen the first chapter, here's the next one. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Spencer Reid, Derek Morgan, Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, Emily Prentiss and Penelope Garcia belong to Mark Gordon and CBS. Jessie Marco, Harry, Anthony Chen and Becky belong to me.

* * *

[In Aaron Hotchner's Voice]

_It has been wisely said that we cannot really love anybody at whom we never laugh._

- Agnes Repplier

Reid was humming as he walked into the BAU offices, smiling as he passed co-workers and his teammates. Sitting down at his desk, he threw his messenger bag under the desk and wheeled up to his desk.

"Morgan says you have a girlfriend." Rossi said, smiling at his younger friend. Reid shrugged.

"Yeah, well." he grinned widely. Rossi straddled a chair, facing him.

"So, tell me about her." he said. Reid flushed and leaned back in his chair.

"She's taking classes at the local college to be a psychologist and hoping to work with the FBI, she works at a bookstore and a Starbucks. She's from Michigan, she likes books, she watches Star Trek and she has beaten me at video games at least three times. She likes to-" Reid paused, reconsidered what he was going to say and tried again. "She's a great dancer and she can punch out someone three times her size." he said. Rossi smiled. "Her name is Jessie Marco, she has long curly red hair and these expressive blue eyes. She has-" again he stopped to consider his words. "She's very pretty." he said.

"It sounds like it. Have you..." Rossi trailed off. Reid flushed pleasently.

"A gentlemen doesn't talk about things like that." he replied and logged into his computer. Rossi grinned and patted him on the back. Derek walked in a few minutes later, whistling and grinned at Reid.

"Need some coffee, kid?" Morgan asked and Reid nodded.

"Please." he said and a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Derek?" he asked as Derek passed him a cup.

"What's up?"

"What...What do you get a girl you really like?" Spencer asked, looking up at him. Morgan shrugged.

"Well, I would assume you're talking about Jessie here, unless there's someone else." he said. Reid shook his head.

"No, no! I..I mean..." Reid trailed off. Derek looked at him closely.

"It's a bit early to be talking about marriage, Reid." he said. Reid turned bright red and shook his head.

"Nothing like that! I just... I like her and I wanted to get her something nice." he shrugged.

"What does she like?" Morgan asked, pulling a chair over.

"Um, books, music, jewelry, I guess... The only jewelry she wears are necklaces and a single pair of tiny gold earrings." he said. Derek nodded.

"What's the necklace she wears most often?" Morgan asked. Reid's eyes closed for a minute as he thought.

"It's a-a double F note. I think she said she got it for her birthday." he said. Derek nodded.

"Well, get her something to go with that. You said she likes music right?" Derek asked. Spencer nodded. "Then that's your answer." he said and clapped him on the back. "She likes you, brother, I can tell." Derek said encouragingly. Spencer grinned at him.

"Reid, can I speak with you?" Hotch asked. Reid got up from his chair and followed his boss and friend up to his office. Motioning the younger man to sit down, Hotch sat behind his own desk.

"What is it?" Reid asked. Hotch shook his head.

"I hate to bring this up, but we need to talk about about your driving." he said. Reid flushed. His driving was a bit of a sore subject.

"I've been driving on my own." Reid said defensively. Hotch nodded.

"I-I know that. I was just wondering how you've been doing. I can help you if you like." he offered and Reid felt bad about getting so defensive.

"Oh, it's okay. I, um, I'll ask Jessie to help me." he said. Hotch looked confused.

"Jessie?"

"My girlfriend." Reid said, unable to stop the grin. Hotch smiled at him.

"Good for you, Reid." he said and Reid nodded. He walked towards the door as Hotch stopped him.

"That paperwork on the Kedran case, are you finished with it?" Aaron asked. Spencer shook his head.

"Not yet. One of the pages of the description got lost from the paper copy. Garcia is going to print it out and send it up to me." he replied. Hotch nodded and Reid walked out into the bullpen.

"What'd Hotch want?" Morgan asked. Reid shrugged.

"To know about my driving. I said I'd asked Jessie to help me." he replied. Garcia, standing in the doorway, paused.

"Jessie? That's a girls name. Who is she and why are you asking her for help?" Garcia asked, closing the distance between her and Reid. He took a step back.

"Oh, she's, uh, she's-" he stopped as Prentiss piped up.

"Hang on, Garcia. Let him breathe." Emily said and Garcia took a step back.

"Sorry. I just heard a girls name from Reid and since our little boy here," she reached up and ruffled his hair before he could stop her. He waved his hand at her, leaning away. "Has little to no luck with girls, I was just curious." she said with a casual shrug.

"Well, she's my girlfriend, so..." he trailed off as all eyes turned to look at him.

"You? You have a girlfriend?" J.J. asked, laughingly. Spencer shook his head.

"I-I don't know why I said anything." he said, brushing past them. J.J. sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Spence. I'm just... I don't know, but I'm sorry." J.J. said and hugged him gently. He gave her a one armed hug and she pulled back to grin at him.

"It's okay, J.J., I know." he said and his cell phone rang. Garcia handed him the paper as he walked back to his deck. "Hello?" he asked and grinned as Jessie's giggle came over the line.

"-Becky. I'll be there in a second. Hey, handsome. What are you up to for lunch?" Jessie asked. Reid glanced at the clock. 11:30.

"Um, well, I was going to go down to the cafeteria here. Do you have a better idea?" he asked, cocking his head to hold the phone against his shoulder while he continued to type on the paperwork on his computer.

"There's a chinese resturant about a block down from where I work, think you can meet me here?" she asked and he heard her swear suddenly.

"Jess, you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just dropped the collectors edition Lord of the Rings on my foot. No big. Just pulling a Viggo Mortenson." she said. Reid chuckled.

"Breaking your toe by kicking something heavy? I don't think you would be able to get around well on crutches." he said. Jessie laughed mockingly.

"Hardy har har. Oh, you're so funny. But you think you can meet me?" she asked. Reid nodded.

"Sure. I'll just finish this report. Give me the name of your bookstore and I'll come over there." he said. Writing down the name and address, he said goodbye and looked up to see all eyes on him. "What?" he asked. Garcia grinned and moved to give him a big hug.

"Our little boy is growing up!" she said and Derek laughed as Reid attempted to push her away.

"What's going on?" Hotchner asked and Garcia explained. Shaking his head, Aaron good-naturedly ordered them back to work. It took twenty minutes to finish the paperwork and print it out. Hotch motioned towards his In Tray when Spencer brought it in.

"I'm headed out for lunch. I'll be back in about an hour?" Reid asked and Aaron checked his watch.

"Sure. Have a good time." he said and Reid nodded.

"I will, thanks." he said.

----

Reid sighed as he finished parallel parking without damaging the cars. Getting out of the Toyota, he kept to the side of the car until he made to the sidewalk and walked into "Henry's Horror." The name of the place was misleading as the atmosphere was open and friendly. He approached one of the saleswomen.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where Jessie Marco is? I'm supposed to meet her for lunch?" he said and the woman smiled, pointing him towards the classics section in the back. Walking the aisles, he found her along the back wall in the classics section.

"Hey, you. Sorry. I just need to get this finished and we can go to lunch." she said and Reid nodded.

"I'm gonna go have a look around." he said and Jessie nodded. He wandered away, reminding himself of where she was. He found the history section and set about flipping through a few of them. It wasn't until he wandered over the science fiction section that something caught his eye. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor reading when a toe prodded his thigh. It took a minute, but when he looked up, he saw Jessie smiling down at him.

"I see you found something to occupy your time." she said and squatted down next to him.

"It's a book about this mechanized man and he's fighting aliens and-" he paused when she held up a hand and twisted his hands to look at the cover.

"Halo? You don't even know what Halo is?" she asked, chuckling and when he flushed she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. The mechanized man is called Master Chief and I'll buy you the book, okay?" Jessie said. Reid nodded and she helped him up. He paused and shook his foot.

"My foot fell asleep." he said and a look of consertation crossed his face. Jessie made a sympathetic face.

"Oh, baby. Come on, you can lean on me until the blood rushes back properly." she said and pulled his arm around her shoulders.

"Thanks." he said and they hobbled to the front of the store. Henry looked concerned when they came up to the front.

"Just a fallen asleep foot, Henry. Could you check this out for me?" Jessie asked as she passed "Fall of Reach" to him. The small, somewhat portly man, grinned and checked it out. With a 50% percent discount, Jessie got the book at 2.50 and by the time they were ready to leave, Reid was walking properly.

"Have a good lunch you two." Henry called as Jessie waved at him. Reid slipped the book into his bag and put his arm around Jessie. She smiled and leaned against him. The walk was short and the resturant was somewhat empty.

"Hi, Anthony." Jessie said as they walked inside.

"Jessie, welcome. Who is your friend?" he asked and Jessie grinned.

"This is my boyfriend, Spencer Reid." she said and he waved a little. Anthony Chen bowed and looked at Jessie.

"Usual table?" he asked and Jessie nodded.

"Well, follow me then." he said and lead them towards the back. It was a little both in the back and already occupied. "You two, out, lets go!" he barked and the two patrons, marines, just looked at him.

"Yeah right." the one scoffed. Spencer felt Jessie tense beside him and for a minute he thought she was scared. Then he saw the fire flaring in her eyes.

"Boots, the both of you." she said and there was an authority in her tone he didn't recongize, but the two probably did. They immediately sat up straight. "Now why, may I ask, are you being disrespectful to this man who was good enough to allow you to eat here? I want to hear an explination and now."

"Um, we, um..." they both stammered.

"Okay, then. Pay him, gather you gear and get your punk asses back to base, am I understood?" she demanded. The two paid, saluted her and left, looking bewildered.

"What was that about?" Reid asked. Jessie shrugged.

"My father was a marine, I guess it just rubbed off on me." she said and Reid slipped off his bag, putting it down by their feet.

"Oh. I wouldn't have thought of that. Most military kids end up in trouble or following in their parents footsteps." he said and Jessie laughed.

"Yeah, no. None of that for me." she said and they ordered their meal. Something about the way she handled them nagged at him.

"What, uh, what rank was your father?" he asked. Jessie looked at him.

"Are you profiling me, Dr. Reid?" she asked. Spencer looked uncomfortable. "Look, I had four brothers, all of them younger than me. I learned to boss boys around. Handy if I ever have kids." she said and Spencer nodded.

"So, uh, when did you move here?" he asked. Jessie shrugged, slurping up a noodle.

"Three years ago." she said and Spencer nodded. The conversation turned away from her personal life to other things. Mostly his job and the cases they had worked. They finished lunch and went to leave.

"I want to thank you for that. Those kids... they wouldn't have left otherwise." he said. Jessie shook her head.

"It was nothing, Anthony." she said and paid the tab, despite Reid's protests. "I come to eat here everyday." she said. Walking back to the bookstore, Spencer pressed a kiss to her cheek, self-consciously and started when she kissed him on the lips. His hands went to her waist and pulled him against her. The kiss broke and he was breathing hard. "Sorry. I wanted to something to think about during the rest of the day." she said and Reid smiled.

"You could have asked." he said. Jessie laughed.

"I could have, but it wouldn't have as much fun." she said and Reid shook his head. With another quick kiss, he walked back to his car and drove away. Jessie watched him go, a happy grin tugging at her lips.

----

Reid was whistling as he walked back into the office. Morgan grinned at him.

"You look like a happy man." he said. Reid shrugged.

"I am." he said. Morgan nodded, his grin widening.

"Good for you, kid." he said and Reid grinned and spun in his chair.

"So, when do we get to meet this mystery Jessie?" Emily asked, leaning on the partition. Reid shrugged.

"Oh, I, uh, I don't know. We could...Go for a drink tonight and have her meet us there." he suggested. Emily clapped her hands together.

"Perfect! J.J., Garcia! We're meeting Reid's girlfriend tonight!" she said and Rossi, in talking with Hotch walked outside the office.

"'Scuse me?" he asked. Emily repeated her announcement and Rossi agreed it was a good idea. Hotch caught the slightly startled and trapped look on Reid's face and smiled reassuringly at the younger man.

* * *

Jessie paused in front of her closet, lips pursing as she considered her options. It was a bar. But she was meeting Spencer's friends and co-workers. It was a little cop bar not far from FBI headquarters. And she wanted to make a good impression. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she picked out a pair of tan pants, a deep blue tank top and a pair of deep blue sneakers that she just adored. She swept her shoulder length hair into a half-ponytail, replacing her normal tiny gold earrings with larger silver earrings, straightened her necklace and headed for her landline. She dialed a familiar number and sat down on her bed, listening to it ring.

"Bethesda Naval Hospital." a female voice said and Jessie grinned.

"I'd like to speak to Brigadier General Kendrick please, head of security." she said and checked her watch.

"General Kendrick speaking."

----

Spencer waited under the bright lights of bar's entrance as Jessie's pickup pulled up. She parked and got out, locking her truck. She trotted up to him and kissed him passionately. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"Mm, thats what I've been waiting for." she said when she pulled back. Spencer grinned at her.

"Me too. Come on, they're anxious to meet you." he said and Jessie linked her arm with his. They walked into the bar and Jessie saw that several sets of eyes were resting on her. She recongized Derek Morgan and that was all. She nervously squeezed Reid's hand and he kissed the back of it. This got surprised looks from his friends.

"Aaron Hotchner." the dark haired man said, extending his hand. Jessie shook it, her handshake firm. She met the others, shaking hands with J.J., her husband William, Emily, and David Rossi.

"I like your hair." Jessie told Garcia, sincerity clear in her voice.

"I like her." Penelope said and Reid flushed.

"Thanks. Come on, let's get something to eat." he said and the pair wandered towards the bar.

"She seems nice enough." J.J. said. William nodded. Henry was with a sitter so his parents could have a night out.

"She does. Seems kinda familiar though." Rossi said. Aaron nodded.

"Perhaps. He appears to be happy though and that's what counts." Aaron said. Derek chuckled.

"Yeah. Jessie can also punch a guy out three times her size." he said, flashing back to that club where he'd first met her.

"What happened that night?" Emily asked and Derek didn't get a chance to answer.

"I was dancing with my boyfriend and this bruiser, King Kongs third cousin, butted in. I didn't want to dance with him and he didn't like that. He grabbed my arm and I decided to end the conversation." Jessie answered. Emily nodded. They sat down and the conversations were overlapping, so Jessie leaned back in her chair and listened to them chatter. She felt like an outsider to the obvious closeness they all shared.

"Something wrong?" Spencer asked, catching her being unusually quiet.

"No, just listening." she said and smiled at him. Reid leaned back with her.

"Then I'll just listen with you." he said and linked his hand with hers. The music was playing and Jessie grinned.

"Let's dance, cowboy." she said. Reid made a face.

"Do we have to? Do you remember what happened last time?" he asked. Jessie rolled her eyes at him.

"Come on, cowboy, let's give it another go 'round." she said and tugged him out of his chair. He sighed as she pulled him onto the floor, but got into the dancing when they reached the floor. It was a slow song and she smiled when he pulled her close.

---

Aaron watched the young couple as they moved about the dance floor.

"He's far more... at ease when she's around." Rossi said, observing them as well.

"She's sweet." Garcia said, sipping her drink.

"Come on, sugar, let's boogie." Derek said and offered his hand to Penelope. She smiled and they walked onto the dance floor. It wasn't long before J.J. and her husband joined them, leaving Emily, Aaron and Rossi sitting at the table.

"She still looks familiar. I can't place her." Rossi said as Reid spun Jessie away, then back.

"We could have Garcia do a search on her." Aaron suggested, sipping at his beer. Emily shook his head.

"I don't think that would be fair. I know Reid likes her and that's enough. He's good at judging character." Emily said and Aaron nodded.

---

"Penny for your thoughts?" Jessie said, looking up at Spencer.

"Did you know the penny is the second smallest coin? It's also the most common coin. The smallest coin is-"

"The dime. There was legislation not that long ago to eliminate the penny, but I don't think it ever went through." Jessie said and Reid smiled.

"What was I thinking about?" there was a brief pause as he thought. "Oh, right. What do you think of everyone?" he asked. Jessie shrugged.

"I think you're a tight knit group and that there should be a spouse and girlfriend club as well." she said. Spencer laughed.

"Yeah, that would be good." he said. As he was about to say something else, Jessie moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder. He smiled and rested his hand on her lower back and tilted his head to lean it against hers, closing his eyes to enjoy the closeness.

---

"Wow, look at that." Garcia said, nodding at the young couple lost in their own world. Derek smiled.

"I'll be damned. That's my boy." he said and Garcia swatted his chest, getting a surprised and confused look from him. "What?"

"Don't embarrass him! Our little boy is growing up." she said and sniffed. Derek chuckled.

"Darlin' girl, there is nothing little about that boy. And don't worry, I don't think I have to worry about embarrassing him." he said. Garcia shrugged and they kept dancing.

---

J.J. and William were dancing close together, enjoying the music.

"I'm glad Reid is happy. He deserves it." J.J. said. William nodded.

"He's a good kid. That Jessie, she almost like the perfect blend of sweet and tough. Just like you, darlin'." William said and J.J. blushed prettily.

"Thank you." she said and kissed him. After a minute they seperated and J.J. closed her eyes and rested her head against her husbands chest.

---

The song ended and the three dancing pairs left the floor to return to the table. As they reached it, a familiar face appeared in the crowd. The bruiser from the first club where Reid and Jessie went walked in. Jessie caught sight of him and groaned.

"Great. Magilla Gorilla."

* * *

TBC

----------


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry it's kind of short. I'm not used to having a story move so fast. But don't worry, I won't leave anything out. Now, there will be some information coming up that I'm not sure if it'll be acurate or not. I try as best I can. Without giving away spoilers, if y'all find something that's inacurate, lemme know and I'll fix it.

Disclaimer: Reid, Morgan, Hotch, Prentiss, Rossi, Garcia, J.J. and her husband William belong to Mark Gordon. Jessie, Harry and Paul belong to me. The excerpt is from _Under the Tuscan Sun: At home in Italy_ by Frances Mayes. If I hadn't put that in there, my English teacher would pound on me.

* * *

[In Jessie's Voice]

_When the satisfaction or the security of another person becomes as significant to one as one's own satisfaction or security, then the state of love exists._

- Henry Stack Sullivan

Reid spotted him as well and swallowed gently. It was the big bruiser from the other night and he wasn't too keen to run into him again.

"Look, if we just avoid him, he won't be any trouble." Spencer said. Jessie nodded and the two took their seats. Derek and Garcia got off the dance floor followed by J.J. and Will. They made their way over to the table and sat down. It wasn't long before they were having a lively conversation and Jessie laughed out loud. Spencer smiled at the sound and began to relax more. It was about twenty minutes later that the big man, now reasonably drunk, recongized the young woman who had knocked him cold. Paul Jamison Conrad was a young, proud and, most importantly, drunk man. He rose from his chair and staggered over by the table, intent on talking to her. Derek Morgan, sitting next to Jessie and Spencer, saw trouble coming and quietly got Hotchner's attention.

"Aaron." he said softly and that got Hotch's attention. The only people who called him "Aaron" were his wife, his parents, and his brother. For Derek to call him that meant it was serious. "Big guy, real drunk, could be trouble." he said and Aaron nodded. Jessie looked up and a sliver of ice ran down her spine. No, not tonight. She was just getting comfortable with Spencer's friends.

"You..." Paul slurred, swaying and pointed at Jessie. "Yoush...Yoush knocked me out...How the hellsh did you do that?" he asked unsteadily.

"You were rather drunk that night." she said calmly. Paul's brow furrowed. Jessie could see he was just drunk enough to be suggestible. She could work with that. She motioned for Spencer and the others to remain seated while she rose from her chair. "I'll tell you what. Why don't you let me buy you another drink for that punch, and I mean the really good stuff, then we'll call it even, okay?" she asked. William nodded.

"Sure..." he agreed and Jessie lead him to the bar. The bartender came over when he saw them approach.

"Could you set him up for the rest of the night? The really good stuff. Here," she dug out five twentys. "That should keep him going all night." she said and the bartender nodded. Jessie walked back to the table, ignoring the looks the others had fixed on her.

"That was interesting." J.J. said and Jessie shrugged.

"My Dad was a Marine Colonel. I used to see him handle tough guys like that." she said and Aaron nodded. She was honest enough, but something was off. The conversation started up again, but Aaron kept an eye on Jessie all evening. Finally it came time for everyone to go home and Jessie, who had only had ginger ale and water, offered to drive Spencer, who'd had a few beers, home. He had taken the offer, knowing that they lived just across the street. Jessie pulled into his driveway and smiled when he pulled her inside.

"Just how drunk are you?" Jessie laughed as Spencer shut the door.

"Not very... Just drunk enough for certain inhibitions to be dropped." he said as he closed the distance between them. Jessie grinned and slipped her arms around his waist.

"My favorite kind of drunk."

* * *

Jessie sighed as she woke. Spencer was dead asleep beside her and she glanced at the clock. 2 A.M. What a time to wake up. Jessie rolled out of bed and walked quietly to the bathroom. Coming back, she slipped on a robe and went downstairs. Jessie sighed and sat down at the dining room table and stared out the window. Part of her wanted to go outside, but the winter cold made that option unavailable. What she was doing was wrong, she knew it, but... She loved Reid and didn't want to leave him.

"How can I keep doing this? I can't leave and I don't want to hurt him." she sighed and buried her face in her hands. "I wish...What? What do I wish? There's nothing I can wish that'd help me. Nothing can stop this. Not the gods, not the government. I can't even put a stop to it." Jessie rose from the table, restless and uneasy. While her mind drifted, her feet carried her back upstairs. She found herself standing in the doorway of the bedroom, looking in on the sleeping genius. His face was peaceful and just before they had fallen asleep, Reid had confided that since they'd started spending the night together, he hadn't had a single nightmare in months. Thinking back on that now, her heart broke. She couldn't keep doing this to him. But- Her thought was broken by Reid suddenly whimpering in his sleep.

"No...no..." he muttered as he rolled over. Jessie hurried to his side and took his face in her hands.

"Reid, sweetheart, wake up. Reid... Spencer!" she said and his eyes popped open. Her heart ached again at the stark terror in his eyes. "It's all right, it was a bad dream." she said. Spencer swallowed and looked away from her. Jessie released him and sat back to give him room. After a moment, Spencer sat up and turned a light on. He ran his hand through his mussed up hair and looked at Jessie.

"What are you doing up?" he asked. Jessie shrugged.

"Had to use the bathroom, then had trouble getting back to sleep." she said and Spencer seemed to accept this answer. Jessie walked around to her side of the bed, slipped off the robe and climbed in to sit next to him.

"You know, when-when I was a kid, my Mom used to read to me, sometimes, when I had nightmares." he said. Jessie gave him a startled look. He'd never mentioned his mother before. Like he hadn't wanted to talk about her. "I-I say sometimes because she...She has schizophrenia and used to have episodes and..." Reid trailed off. Jessie nodded, brain running in circles. She shifted over and grabbed her book from the nightstand.

"Have you ever read _Under the Tuscan Sun_?" she asked and Reid stared at her before shaking his head.

"No." he said. Jessie smiled and moved closer to him.

"Well then, there's no time like now." she said and opened it to the first chapter as Reid shifted to lean against her.

"I am about to buy a house in a foreign country. A house with the beautiful name of Bramasole. It is tall, square, and apricot-colored with faded green shutters, ancient tile roof, and an iron balcony on the second level, where ladies might have sat with their fans to watch some spectacle below. But below, overgrown briars, tangles of roses, and knee-high weeds run rampant. The balcony faces southeast, looking into a deep valley, then into the Tuscan Apennines. When it rains or when the light changes, the facade of the house turns gold, sienna, ocher; a previous scarlet paint job seeps through in rosey spots like a box of crayons left to melt in the sun. In places where the stucco has fallen away, rugged stone shows what the exterior once was. The house rises above a _strada bianca_, a road with white pebbles, on a terraced slab of hillside covered with fruit and olive trees. Bramasole: from _bramare_, to yearn for, and _sole_, sun: something that yearns for the sun, and yes, I do."

* * *

When Spencer woke the next morning, his stomach grumbled at him with hunger. His nose picked up the whiff of bacon and his mouth watered. A glance over showed that _Under the Tuscan Sun_ was laying in the sheets. So the sound of Jessie reading him to sleep after his nightmare was real. Her voice carrying the words from the book into his ears was real. He slipped out of bed and headed for the bathroom, and when he was done, he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt and made his way downstairs. Though Reid thought Jessie looked good in his shirts and boxers, she had wanted to bring over some of her clothing, so when they slept late, she didn't have to rush over to her house, throw on new clothes and beat feet for work. This morning Jessie had on a pair of jeans and a tank top, obviously with nothing on underneath either piece of clothing.

"Morning, sleepy." she said and Spencer smiled at her sleepily and made his way to the coffee. Taking a sip, he felt immediately better and the smell of bacon made his stomach rumble again. "Think you can handle the eggs?" Jessie asked and Reid sipped his coffee again before making his way over to the refrigator. He sighed when he discovered the lack of eggs.

"Sorry, don't have any eggs." he said. Jessie laughed.

"I know you don't. That's why I went over to my place and got some." she said and pointed at the table where there were three cartons sitting at the ready. Reid went over and snagged one of them. He opened it and his brow furrowed.

"These eggs are brown." he said. Jessie glanced at him and laughed.

"Well, yeah! That's the way they look when they come straight from the chicken." she said and Reid made a face.

"I knew that. It's just that I'm used to store bought eggs." he said and Jessie nodded.

"Right, right. Genius, sorry. I'm used to people knowing nothing about farms." she said and Reid shrugged.

"Did you know eggshells are brown because of the calcium in them? See, the calcium strengths the shell to help protect the egg itself and..." for a moment Jessie tuned him out as she put in more bacon. She knew about eggshells from growing up on her parents farm, but Jessie loved to hear Spencer's voice and enjoyed hearing him talk. "-So they feed them calcium, but I'm not sure how." he said and Jessie jumped in before he could continue.

"They put crushed oyster shells in the layer mash. At least the really good mash has it in there." she said and Reid's face clouded for a minute.

"How do you know that?" he asked. Jessie shrugged.

"I grew up on a farm." he said. Spencer stared at her.

"I though you said your father was a Marine Colonel." he said and there was a faint hint of hurt in his voice. Jessie suppressed the surge of guilt.

"I said he _was_ a Marine Colonel. When he found out my Mom was expecting me, he didn't re-enlist and they got a house with some land and raised me and my brothers." she shrugged and for the rest of the morning, Spencer watched her cautiously.

------

Jessie dropped Spencer off outside of the FBI headquarters and sped off to her job. Reid trotted up the stairs and showed his badge to the security guards. They let him in without a problem and he hustled to the offices as his phone began to buzz. He pulled it out and saw it was Hotch. He decided against the elevator and took the stairs, until he was gasping for breath as he finally made it into the conference room.

"S-sorry, I'm late. Phone went off as I got through security." he said as he sat down. Derek grinned.

"Sure, that's the reason." Derek teased and Spencer rolled his eyes.

"What's going on?" he asked. J.J. pressed the button on the remote.

"Alexander and Katherine Treachy were killed this morning in Baltimore. It appears as if they tortured for a long time before they were killed." J.J. pressed the clicker again as the images flickered on the screen.

"The wounds suggest he was dragging the knife." Reid said. Rossi nodded.

"Maybe he was trying to get some kind of information out them." he said. Spencer shook his head.

"But studies have shown that treating someone with a certain amount of respect gains more information than pain. Our own experiences have shown that." he said and Morgan nodded.

"Remember the terrorist that Gideon tricked into giving up the location of the bomb because he thought that it had already gone off?" he said and Hotch nodded.

"We might be dealing with someone who has no control. Someone who is mentally damaged." he said and Emily gave a very unlady-like snort.

"Aren't they all?" she asked. Reid shrugged.

"Mental damage varies from case to case. The stressors of our past UnSubs have proven that." Spencer said, pulling his legs up into his chair.

"True. The reason we are being brought in is because these people were in Witness Protection. They want to know who killed their witnesses and asked us for help." Aaron said and closed his open folder. "The jet leaves in two hours." he said and the meeting was dismissed. Reid stood up and pulled his messenger bag back over his head. Morgan walked out of the room with him.

"You gonna call Jessie and tell her?" he asked. Reid nodded.

"Of course. I'll do it when I... Damn," he muttered as he snagged his coat. "Think you could drop me off at the bar? I left my car there." he asked and Derek shrugged.

"Sure, kid." he said and Reid was quiet as Derek drove from the parking garage to the bar from the night before. "Have, uh, have you told her about your addiction?" Derek asked. Spencer was hesitant to reply.

"No, not yet. I... I haven't gotten around to it." he said. Morgan shook his head.

"Well, don't take much longer. You know, you could always leave a message on her phone. Something like 'Hey, Jessie, it's Spency and-" Morgan laughed as Reid sputtered. "-I gotta go to Baltimore for a while and I just forgot to tell you, I used to take a drug called Dilaudid. 'Kay, love you, bye'. Wait, you have said that already, right?" Morgan asked as the car stopped at a red light.

"What? 'I love you'? No, we're not there yet." he said and Morgan laughed.

"You spend nearly every night together, you practically live together, and you haven't said I love you yet? Come on, what more do you need?" he said. Spencer snorted.

"Everything to sync? I-I like Jessie, but... Some of the things she says don't add up." he said. Morgan looked surprised.

"Really? You know, maybe she's just not comfortable giving you all the facts. Some women are like that." he said. Spencer shrugged.

"I just get the feeling she isn't telling me everything."

* * *

"Jessie!" Harry called from the back. Jessie put down the 12th volume of _Encyclopedia Britannica_ and headed towards the back. She stuck her head into the back room and walked in when Harry motioned her inside.

"Agent Travis is on the phone, darlin'." he said and Jessie rolled her eyes. Jonathan Travis, bad news on two legs. Not that he was a bad guy, he just never had good news for her when he called.

"Jonny boy," Jessie said immediately after taking the receiver. She grinned when she heard a sigh on the other end. "So tell me, what do I owe for this thundercloud on an otherwise maginificent day?" she asked. The voice, when he spoke, sounded conspiciously tired and downtrodden.

"Caity, you better sit down." he said and Jessie scowled, even though she knew he couldn't see it.

"Don't call me that, I've told you a thousand times." she retorted.

"Caitlin, sit." the voice was more authoriative and Jessie immediately sat down in Harry's chair. It wasn't often Jonathan used her full first name.

"All right, butt has met leather, what the hell is going on?" she demanded crossly. A great sigh was heard on the other end.

"Kiddo, they're dead. Your parents are dead." he said and Jessie froze. No, it couldn't be.

"Jonny, now come on, we talked about this. You aren't supposed to call with bad news _all_ the time." she tried joking.

"It's not a joke, Caitlin. They're dead." he said and Jessie quit breathing.

"Stop fucking with me, Jonathan. They can't be dead, they're safe." she said softly, swallowing hard and ignoring the hot pricks on the back of her eyes.

"I'm not, Caity. Your parents are dead." Jonathan said and Jessie stopped, totally. She didn't breathe, didn't think, and didn't respond for what seemed like an hour.

"W-what happened?" she asked finally and kicked herself for asking.

"I'm not going to tell you, you know that. Look, the reason I called isn't just because I'm in charge of your case, it's because the BAU has been called in. I figured, since you were dating one of their guys..." in the trail off of his voice, there was accusation there that Jessie couldn't handle right then.

"Yeah, Spencer Reid. Um, _Dr._ Spencer Reid." she said.

"Caity, I have to ask. Do you want to be involved in this? If you don't, I can keep your name out of it. I don't have to tell them everything." he said and Jessie closed her eyes, trying to get her brain to function.

"I, um... Oh, god... No. Don't mention me. Knowing my parents they kept at least one picture of me with them. So tell your men to find it and keep it away from the BAU at any cost or I swear to God I will bolt and you will never find me." she said and she heard the faint rustling of paper.

"All right. You keep an eye out for yourself, hear me?" Jonathan said and Jessie nodded.

"Sure, Jon, sure. And thanks for the call." she said and hung up. Harry, standing by the door, watched her face. Harry was in on it to, having gone through the same thing, and had come to regard Jessie as something of pet project.

"You gonna be okay?" he asked and Jessie nodded.

"Fine." she replied, obviously distracted. She rose from the desk and her hands were shaking. "Look I need to take the rest of the day off." she said and Harry nodded.

"Sure. Take all the time you need." he said and Jessie looked up at the ceiling for a long moment.

"Spencer Reid, my boyfriend, he'll call and ask for me. Tell him...Tell him that a friend of mine is sick, that I had to go see her and ask him to call me on my cell, okay?" she asked and Harry nodded. He watched Jessie grab her coat and the small, faded red purse from the rack and bolt for the door.

"Poor kid."

* * *

Jessie's hands were still trembling as she pulled into her driveway. One night, not that long ago obviously, she and Reid had gotten on the subject of adrenline and its effects on the system. One of the effects he had mentioned was heightened awareness. Being that it was night and they were alone in bed, Jessie had teasingly asked if that was why sex was so good. Red had grinned and offered to test the theory. Even the memory of that night couldn't still the horribly responsible feeling floating in Jessie's chest. She managed to unlock her door, get inside and re-lock it before she hit her knees and hit the floor with her fist.

"It's not fair. It's not fair!" she yelled, just below screaming. She grabbed a stone paperweight from a vacation to the coast and hurled it against the wall. It damaged her drywall, but nothing more. "Dammit! What do I have to do?!" she yelled again, throwing a clog this time and it hit one of the framed pictures of her and Becky, her best friend. Just as she was about to launch another object, her cell phone buzzed. She stopped for a moment to calm herself, knowing instinctively it was Reid and answered it calmly. "Hello?" she asked, silently proud she could keep her voice that even.

"Hey, Babe. How's your friend?" Spencer asked and Jessie reminded herself of the lie she'd asked Harry to tell.

"Good, she's sleeping now. You know, winter, flu season, that kind of thing. What's going on, gorgeous?" she asked, forcibly inserting a playfulness into her voice.

"I got called away to Baltimore. Sorry, I'll be gone for a couple of days. A week tops." he said and Jessie smiled.

"Oh, that's okay. It'll give me a chance to clean up that pigsty you call a house." she teased and she heard Reid laugh.

"Hey, I thought you liked pigs." he asked. Jessie had to laugh this time.

"Darlin', I just adore your bacon. I'll bet you're getting ready to, what, take off?" she asked. Jessie could almost hear Reid nodding.

"Yeah, which means I have to go. I-I-I'll, um...I'll see you when I get back, okay?" he asked. Jessie smiled again.

"All right, see you then. Bye." she said and hung up the phone. She was starting to feel a bit better, for having talked to him. What a difference a person makes, Jessie thought to herself as she got up from the floor. She had plans to make and fulfill. There would be time to cry later. If Jessie felt the chill in the words that echoed in her mind, she didn't take notice. All she noticed was the iron will in her soul and the beat of her own heart. What happened that morning would not be in vain. No matter how much Travis would want her to believe otherwise. Just as Jessie was about to head upstairs, she stopped. Something was wrong, there was someone here.

"Hello, Caitlin, miss me?" a voice asked and Jessie ground her teeth together, suppressing a surge of hot anger.

"Like a toothache." she snarled and whirled, lunging at that voice. Just as she reached him, he swung the hammer and Jessie Marco knew no more..

* * *

To be Continued

-------------------


	4. Chapter 4

Okey-dokey, Chapter 4!! Sorry it took so long, I've been kinda busy with school and not doing so well in Algebra, but I'll be doing better here PDQ. I actually have today, 02/10, off because of a blizzard. So anyway, I'll get to take the test next Monday! But enough about me, let's talk about the chapter. I'm not really used to fics being so short, but this story just took on a life of it's own. All righty, here you all go, Chapter 4!!

Disclaimer: Aaron Hotchner, Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss, Penelope Garcia, David Rossi and Dr. Spencer Reid belong to CBS and Mark Gordon. Jonathan Travis, Jessie Marco, Brigadier General Alexander Kendrick and Robert Carlitti belong to me.

[In Garcia's Speaking Voice]

When one loves somebody, everything is clear - where to go, what to do - it all takes care of itself and one doesn't have to ask anybody about anything.

- Maxim Gorky

Jessie moaned as she came around. The side of her head hurt like a son of a bitch. She tried to raise a hand to her head and stopped when her wrist barely moved. She peeled her eyes open and was grateful that the light was at least tolerable for her.

"Oh, goody, look who's awake. Finally." a male voice snarled and Jessie thrashed against the restraints.

"When I get out of this-"

"Oh, don't worry. You won't." the man growled. Jessie glowered at him. He walked out of the light and she saw a red light flash on, just outside of the ring of light. "Now, smile real pretty, you're gonna send a video to your boyfriend." he said.

"What boyfriend?" she asked innocently.

"Oh, you know, the boyfriend you have with the FBI? The Behavioral Analysis Unit, surely you remember him? Or, uh, was he that unmemorable?" he asked and Jessie snarled at him.

"Why don't you go fuck yourself." she snarled and the man backhanded her.

"We'll get to that. Now tell him what you lied about." he said. Jessie stared at the camera.

"Spencer. I'm sorry, I should have told you."

Spencer Reid shook his head as he got out of the SUV. He had to get Jessie off his mind. He needed to concentrate on the case at hand. He walked across the slightly shaggy lawn and into the house. Aaron looked up as he entered and nodded to him.

"Come have a look at this." he said and held up a family photo album. It was obvious that the album had been rifled through. A photo had been removed from the contents and the album had been left in disarray.

"Why would the UnSub take a picture?" he asked and Aaron shook his head.

"A trophy? We've seen it before." Aaron said. Reid nodded, raising his eyebrows at the same time.

"Maybe. But if he's taking trophies, why just one? And what U.S. Marshall would allow a witness to keep pictures of their former life?" Spencer asked. Agent Jonathan Travis walked into the room.

"What are you doing with that?" he asked. Aaron fixed the agent with a cool stare.

"We're performing Victimology." he said and put the photo album down. "Is there something we should know?" he asked.

"No. Just... Stear clear of the photoalbums, will you?" he said and walked back out. Spencer shook his head.

"Strange." he said and flipped through the rest of the photo album. He paused on a picture of Katherine Treachy and he stared at it for a while. Looks like Jessie, he mused and kept flipping. He was nearly done with the album when his phone rang. "Hi, Garcia." he said and the blonde on the opposite end laughed.

"Hi, Mr. Smart Trousers. I got some information for you." she said. Reid smiled at her and leaned back in his seat on the couch.

"Go for it." he said, brushing his long hair back.

"Okay, the Treachy's, or whatever their names used to be, had five kids." she said and paused. Spencer could hear the tip-tap of keys as she typed.

"Who is it?" Aaron mouthed.

"Garcia." he replied. Aaron nodded. "Hold on, Garcia, I'll put you on speaker phone. Hotch is here too." he said. The phone buzzed slightly as Reid activated the speaker function.

"Go ahead, Garcia." Aaron said and sat down next to Reid.

"Okay, so as I was telling bright eyes here," she said and Reid rolled his eyes. "The Treachy's, or whatever their name was, had five kids. Four boys and one girl. The father was a Marine Colonel and the mother was a housewife." she said.

"Where are the kids?" Aaron asked.

"The oldest is the girl and she's a corporal in the Marine corps. The two oldest boys are in the Marines and the other two are twins living with their aunt in Oklahoma." she said, again the tip-tap was heard.

"Where is the daughter?" Reid asked. Garcia made a small 'hmm' sound.

"I...Don't know." she said. "Says she's in WitSec. She's in..." Garcia trailed off again.

"Quantico?" Reid asked, eyes closing. Agent Travis walked in.

"What the hell are you doing?! My supervisor said that someone is in our database looking up the Treachy file!" he said, barging in. Reid, uncharateristically angry, rose from his seat to confront the man.

"What's her name? Her assigned name." he demanded. Travis took a step back from the vehemence on the younger man's face.

"I don't see where that's any of your business." he snapped.

"What. Is. Her. Assigned name?" Spencer demanded again, moving closer.

"Reid." Aaron said, but the genius ignored him.

"Answer me." he growled.

"Jessie. Jessie Marco." Travis said and Reid's eyes widened. He'd suspected, but suspecting was different than knowing. He brushed past the man and into the kitchen.

Aaron walked into the kitchen, to find the young genius sitting at the kitchen island with his head in his hands, muttering to himself.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." he was muttering.

"Reid, you couldn't have known." Aaron said.

"I know, it's just... Do you think...Do you think she actually loved me? Or was she just pretending?" he asked. Aaron pulled up a stool and settled himself in.

"I think she did love you. I think she still does. What you feel here," he gently touched Reid over the heart. "Isn't changed by what's here." he said and tapped Reid's forehead. The genius managed a little smile.

"Thanks." he said and the door swung open. Agent Travis walked in and Reid's back stiffened.

"Well, since you know our biggest secret. I guess you'd better hear the reason behind it." he said, sitting down across from them. "Her real name is Caitlin Amelia Morgan. She's a Corporal in the Marine Corps. She was stationed in Bethesda as a- where are you going?" Travis demanded as Reid got up.

"I'm going back to Quantico." he said. Aaron tried to stop him, but Spencer ducked out of his reach and walked out.

Reid stared out the window of the jet. As the clouds passed under them, Reid's mind ran over the past few days. Did she really love him? The way she'd acted, the way she had held him and loved him and never left him... No, no, she loved him. She did. But why....

"Well, this was a stupid thing to do." he muttered to himself. Hotch was going to kill him. Reid shook his head. "One thing at a time." he muttered and closed his eyes.

Reid pulled up to Jessie's house as did three other black SUV's. One of the first people out was Penelope. She looked fit to be tied as Reid stuck his hands in his pockets and calmly waited for her to walk up the steps.

"You are in serious trouble." she said and then she gave him a sympathetic smile. "Hotch asked me to come be with you. Now let's go." she said and Reid walked up to the door. Something in his mind screamed at him to wait as he approached the door. Spencer Reid wasn't in the habit of ignoring his instincts. In fact, if he'd listened to them more, he wouldn't have gotten injured so very many times. He held up a hand, motioning for Garcia to wait. He unholstered his gun and the FBI swat came up behind him.

"Stay here, Garcia." he said and kicked the door open. Twenty minutes later and they deemed the house secure. Spencer motioned Garcia in, who's eyes widened at the sight infront of her.

"Wow... Somebody trashed this place." she said in awe. Spencer nodded.

"It appears they were looking for something. Or someone." he said and glanced over at the T.V. There was a piece of paper taped on it. The words "Play Disk in DVD Player" was written in red ink. Exchanging looks with the blonde, Reid tugged on a pair of latex gloves, pulled the paper off and passed it over to one of the forensic experts. He turned the T.V. on and the DVD player was already on. Pressing play, Spencer's eyes widened as he saw Jessie glare into the camera.

"We'll get to that. Now tell him what you lied about." a man said and Jessie glowered at him.

"Spencer, I'm sorry. I should have told you before now. My name is Caitlin Amelia Morgan. I am a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps. I was stationed at Betheseda as security under Brigadier General Alexander Kendrick." she said and Reid sank down onto the couch.

"Tell him why you're here."

"Well, you see, my parents met and-" Jessie was broken off by a backhand to her cheek.

"Stop fucking around. Tell him the real reason."

"I was two months into the job when I met and befriended a Petty Officer Laura Rodrigez. Three weeks later she told me she was being forced into sexual activites by this asshole-" again the man backhanded her and she spat out onto the floor. "If you don't stop, I'm going to kill you when I get out of this." she snarled.

"Keep going."

"I told Laura to go to the brass, but she was too scared. I told her I wasn't. She begged me not to and I went to then Lieutenant Robert Carlitti and told him to back off of Laura. Two days later, Agent Jonathan Travis and Brigadier General Alexander Kendrick appeared on my doorstep and told me Carlitti's big brother had put out a hit on me and my family. My two younger brothers, twins, went to live with my aunt out in Oklahoma and my other two brothers joined the Marines. I was moved to Quantico and my parents were moved to Baltimore. Where you are know." she said and the sound of metal on metal sounded.

"And now," Carlitti's voice sounded darkly smug. "I'm going to get revenge for your meddling that cost me my career." he said and Reid's eyes widened as the sight of a sledgehammer came into sight. Jessie's teeth grit together.

"G'head, do it." she said and the sledgehammer came swinging down. Garcia cover her mouth with her hand as she gasped. A string of words exploded from Jessie's mouth that cannot be repeated, but Reid's eyes closed as he tried to keep the image from his brain. "Th-That all you got? I've been hit harder by a wet towel." she said, gasping. Carlitti laughed and put the sledgehammer aside.

"Tough little Jarhead, aren't you?" he demanded. Jessie spat at his feet.

"Fuck off." she snarled. Robert nodded and punched her, breaking her nose. Jessie gasped, head tilting back.

"Real tough guy, aren't you? Beating up a woman." Jessie taunted. "Oh, so you're so strong. I'm gonna puke." she said. Carlitti snarled and hefted the sledgehammer again.

"I'd shut up if I was you, girl. You want this to cave your head in?" Carlitti asked.

"You can try." Jessie snapped. Carlitti nodded and the back of his hand slammed into the side of her face.

"Stop mouthing off." Carlitti snarled. He turned to the camera, his eyes shadowed in the overhead lights. "See, Dr. Spencer Reid? This is what's going to happen to your girlfriend. Got anything else to say to him, sweetheart?" Carlitti said, looking at Jessie.

"Smells like the river, I see steel working equipment and I hear a train-" Jessie broke off as Carlitti snarled and punched her again, knocking her out.

"Gotta go, your girlfriend and I have a date." Carlitti said and he turned the camera off. Reid's breathing was slow and steady. When he looked at Garcia, there was a calm steadiness about him that scared the computer tech.

"Can you reference that? The river, steel mills and a train?" Spencer asked. Penelope shook her head to clear the horror from her mind.

"Does a vampire dust in the sunlight?" she asked and got up, ready to leave, then she paused and looked back at him. "Are you gonna be okay?" she asked. Spencer took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Yes. Just... Hurry, please." he said and Garcia hurried out the door.

Aaron stared out the window as the jet flew through the clouds back to Quantico. He felt guility for letting Reid go. He should have stopped him and what if he got hurt and... The sound of computer sitting infront of him beeping caught his attention.

"Go ahead, Garcia." Aaron said. The blonde shook her head.

"You gotta see this, sir. Reid when to see Jessie and... This was in the DVD Player." Garcia said and played the video from the DVD. Aaron shook his head as he watched it.

"And Reid saw this?" Aaron asked. Garcia nodded.

"Yes, sir. He was eerily calm when he saw it. Remember when Carlitti asked if Jessie had anything else to say to Reid, she said 'the river, steel working equipment, and a train'? I cross-referenced them like Reid asked and this is what I got." she said and Aaron peered at the information that appeared on his screen.

"Has Reid seen this?" he asked. Garcia shook her head.

"No, sir. It just came through." she said and Aaron leaned back in his chair.

"Send it to Reid and make sure he waits for us." Hotch said and Garcia nodded.

"I'll do it." she said and the window with her in it disappeared. Morgan came over and sat down.

"I heard Garcia's voice, what's going on?" he asked.

"Watch this." Aaron said and played the video. Morgan's face hardened slightly as he watched it. "Garcia cross-referenced the information and the results already came back. She's going to send it to Reid and tell him to wait for us." Hotch said. The look on Morgan's face said that he didn't believe a word of it.

"You know he ain't gonna do that." he said and Aaron nodded.

"I'm hoping he will." Aaron said and Morgan shook his head.

"I'll ask if the pilot can go any faster."

"He's asking me to wait?! Carlitti could be doing anything to Jessie....Caitlin....Whoever and Hotch is asking me to wait?" Reid demanded as he drove through downtown Quantico.

"Yeah, it sucks, I know, but we don't want you getting hurt. Reid, are you there? Reid? Spencer!" Garcia yelled as Reid whirled the car around and sped off towards the address Garcia had given him. The phone was sitting in the passengers seat and the sound of the dial tone filled the car as Garcia finally hung up. Spencer's thoughts were racing as the car's engine revved and purred as it sped through the streets of Quantico. The siren was on, so he wouldn't get pulled over for speeding.

"Hotch is going to kill me." Spencer murmured to himself as he turned down the lane leading to the industrial park. It wasn't long before he spotted Jessie's truck and he pulled in. He killed the engine on the car and got out, pulling his vest out and tugging it on. It wouldn't do much good against a sledgehammer, but it should help if Carlitti had a gun. "Maybe." Reid muttered and pulled his gun. The heavy weight in his hand was reassuring as he approached the door. He eased it open. Carlitti and Jessie wouldn't be on the first floor, not if Jessie could smell the river. He ran over the outside of the building in his mind again and decided the top level, the sixth floor, would be the best place to start. Spencer climbed up the stairs, stopping to catch his breath before he entered the sixth floor. He spotted them almost immediately. Jessie was spitting curses and glaring at the UnSub.

"I'll kill you when I get out of this." she said and Spencer's heart seemed to stop beating as Carlitti raised the sledgehammer. Spencer could see Jessie had worked the ropes loose, but not loose enough to block the hammer. He stepped into the line of sight and raised his gun.

"Put the hammer down. Put it down now!" he barked and Carlitti and Jessie both turned to look at him.

"Oh, ho. So the little FBI boy found us." he said and Jessie was pulled out of the chair and she yelped as the ropes cut into her wrists. Carlitti yanked her in front of him, his arm across her throat. "Well, Mr. Dr. Spencer Reid, let's see if you can hit me without hurting your girl." Carlitti said. Jessie tugged at his arm.

"Shoot him, Reid. Shoot him now." she said. Carlittli yanked at her throat and Jessie gasped, trying to take her weight off her broken foot.

"Do it, and I'll blow her head off." Carlitti growled, tossing the hammer away and pulling out a 9mm. Glock.

"Kill him."

"I can't." Reid said, fear beginning to lance through him.

"Spencer, you can do it. Point, pull repeat." Jessie urged. Carlitti slammed the butt of his gun into her side. Jessie cried out as her cracked ribs broke under the blow.

"Shut up, you little bitch." Carlitti snarled again, the barrel of the gun pressing against her temple. "One twitch of that trigger finger, and your girl is dead."

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

Here we are, the last chapter. I realize this has been kind of short, but I hope you all enjoyed it. I threw a lot of military things in here, Jessie being a Marine and all. If anyone reading this has any knowledge of the military and I got anything wrong, please let me know. As a side note, the Marine Corps. Commendation for Loyalty was made up by me for the purposes of this fic. So, without further ado, I present the Final Chapter of "Profiling Love"... And there is a sequel in the works. **: **D

Disclaimer: Aaron Hotchner, Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss, David Rossi, Penelope Garcia and Dr. Spencer Reid belong to CBS and Mark Gordon. Jessie Marco, Brigadier General Alexander Kendrick, Jonathan Travis and Robert Carlitti belong to me.

* * *

[In Spencer Reid's Voice]

_What we can do for another is the test of powers; what we can suffer is the test of love._

- Brooke Foss Westcott

Jessie grunted as Carlitti pressed the gun to her temple. She rolled her eyes, ignoring the jab of broken ribs as she tried to breathe around Carlitti's arm.

"You jackass, can you get your fat arm out of my jugular?" she demanded, tugging at his arm.

"Shut up." he snarled. Reid, ignoring the fear knotted in his stomach, lowered his gun.

"What are you going to do? If you kill her, you get nothing." he said. Jessie grunted again, flinching at the pain of her broken foot.

"Yeah, listen to the FBI agent, jerkass. You kill me, you get nothing." she said, still trying to take the weight off her broken foot.

"Shut up!" he yelled and Jessie flinched again. "You, get back or I blow her head off." he said, motioning the gun at Spencer. Backing away, Spencer watched as the gun barrel tilted back to her temple.

"Oh, just shoot him all frickin' ready." Jessie said and Carlitti hit her in the ribs. Jessie yelped and coughed, spitting up blood. She spat it out and panted in pain. Spencer bit his bottom lip as she closed her eyes from the pain.

"Okay, okay. Don't hurt her." he said and Carlitti's eyes widened.

"Oh, so this is the one you've been fucking?" he asked. Jessie growled and struggled against his hold.

"The one I've been dating, yeah." she said and Carlitti tightened his hold, cutting off her air. Jessie gagged and tried to breathe. "S-shoot him. N-n-now." she said, gagging. After a minute, Robert Carlitti release the pressure and Jessie gasped, filling her lungs and crying out with the pain. "Shoot him. Do it now, Reid." she said hoarsely.

"No, no, don't do that. You wouldn't want to hurt your girl, now would you? I know all about you, Spencer Reid. How bad your aim is, what home was like as a kid. How is your dear mother?" he asked and Jessie felt a stab of guilt at the pained look on Reid's face.

"Leave him alone, I'm the one you want." she said and Carlitti laughed.

"You are the one I want. But if I make him hurt, then I make you hurt, don't I?" he said. Jessie didn't have time to yell a warning as Carlitti threw her away and lunged for Reid.

"No!" Jessie yelled as the big man tackled Reid. They wrestled, Carlitti getting the advantage easily. Pain flooded every nerve ending in Jessie's body and she gagged on it. Growling her way through the pain, Jessie forced herself to get up. _A marine has to know how to subdue pain until it can be experienced later_, the voice of an instructor from Parris Island yelled in her ear. Jessie rose to her feet in time to see Carlitti rear back to hit Spencer again. Blood was streaming from the genius' nose and Jessie saw the terrified look in his eyes. With an inarticulate yell, Jessie pushed the pain aside, leapt and tackled the man to the ground. He grunted as they hit the floor with her coming out ontop.

"Get off me!" Carlitti yelled. Jessie brought both fists down onto his stomach. Robert 'oophed' as the breath was driven from his lungs. Jessie struck him again in the sides, viciously pounding on his already bruised stomach. When she decided his sides were sufficently abused, she landed her fist across his face until he was unconscious. Reid peeled himself off the floor and stumbled over. He hooked his arms under her shoulders and pulled her away.

"Jessie, Jessie! Caitlin!" he yelled until she finally snapped out of it. She sagged in his arms as the Marines busted in with the BAU on their heels. They relaxed when they saw Reid was out of danger and so was Jessie. Straightening painfully, Jessie turned to look up at Reid.

"What took you so long?" she asked as she wiped the blood away. Reid shrugged.

"I had to pry the information out of Garcia." he said, putting his hand on her cheek. "Are you okay?" he asked. Jessie smiled.

"I'm fine, babe." she said just before her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Spencer caught her as she fell.

"I need an ambulance." he called and Morgan radioed the call in.

-----

Jessie slowly became aware first of her breathing. Then of the strange object on her nose and she reached up with her left hand to tug it away. When it meet with resistance, she lifted her right hand to pull whatever it was away. Her foggy brain shook like a vehicle trying to come to life as her fingers encountered plastic. She slowly worked her tongue in her mouth until she could open her mouth.

"Reid..." she whispered. After a moment, she convinced her eyes to open and they peeled open to low lighting. A look to the side, she saw him, asleep in a chair with his feet resting on another chair with a blanket over him. His right hand was holding her left hand and his head was lolled over the back of the chair. Though she was still groggy, Jessie couldn't help the giggle that escaped. His hair was flopped all the way back, like he was hanging upside down and he was snoring, just a little. "Spencer..." she said and swallowed. "Spencer." she said louder, trying to get his attention. He stirred and Jessie called his name again. He sat up blearily and rubbed his eyes. He ran his free hand through his hair and smiled at her.

"Hi, I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" he asked. Jessie smiled back.

"Like I got hit by a freight train. What happened? The last thing I remembered was Carlitti pushing me away and going after you." she said. Spencer smiled, touching his nose gingerly. There was still a bandage on it.

"He knocked me to the ground and broke my nose. He was about to hit me again when you leaped in and knocked him off me. I think you'd put it as a 'Mama Bear' moment." he said. Jessie reached out with her other hand and put it on his cheek.

"My poor sweetie." she murmured, her thumb lightly touching his nose and he leaned over to kiss her gently. A knock on the door startled them both and they seperated. Jessie called "come in" and the door opened, admitting Hotch and a familiar face. Jessie sat up in bed, flinching at the pain of her broken ribs and saluted Brigadier General Kendrick.

"At ease, Corporal." he motioned and Jessie laid back in bed.

"Yes, sir, thank you sir." she said.

"I heard you got hurt by the man who killed your parents." Kendrick said, taking a seat opposite Reid.

"Yes, sir." she said and Kendrick nodded.

"Well, I can't very well bring you back into the Marine Corps. all banged up now can I?" he said and Jessie titled her head, looking at him in confusion.

"Sir?"

"I was talking with Agent Hotchner while we were waiting for you to wake up and he came up with an idea. It will keep you in the Marine Corps. and won't endanger you." the general said and Jessie glanced between the two men.

"What idea?"

"Dr. Reid has a habit of... Well, getting into danger. If we give him a bodyguard, then there is less chance of him getting injured. I'd like you to be that bodyguard." Hotch said and Jessie nodded. She turned to her General.

"In that case sir, I'd like to request a battalion of Marines for my forthcoming duties." she said and Reid made a protesting noise.

"Now wait a minute, I'm not that dangerprone." he protested. Jessie laughed and shook her head.

"Sweet one, you've been kidnapped, tortured, shot, and held hostage as I recall. You need a bodyguard." Jessie replied. "Sir, I'd like to take the position." she said. Kendrick nodded.

"All right. You'll still be in the Marines, but with this position, you won't be able to take officer's training." he said and Jessie nodded.

"I can live with that." she said and squeezed Reid's hand.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to-" Spencer tried, but Jessie held up her hand.

"No, it's okay. My father was a colonel and he didn't like it. I'll stay enlisted." she said and General Kendrick reached into his jacket pocket.

"Well, then you'll need these." he said and passed her a pair of bars. Jessie looked at them for a long moment.

"General, these are... Sir, these are Sargent Bars." Jessie protested. Kendrick raised an eyebrow.

"Are you arguing with a superior officer?" he asked quietly. Jessie straightened, knowing that tone from bootcamp.

"Sir, no sir." she said and Kendrick nodded.

"Good. You're finally learning, Sargent." he said. Jessie flushed and saluted.

"Thank you sir." she said and Kendrock rose.

"You'll have get offically promoted of course, and there'll be an offical ceremony on saturday, so I hope you'll attend." he said. Jessie nodded.

"It may be on crutches sir, but I'll be there." she said and Kendrick saluted. He nodded to Hotchner and left the room. Aaron turned and smiled at the pair.

"Looks like you'll be working with us, Jessie. Come in monday and we'll get you started on paperwork. You won't be able to join us in the field for a while, but, hopefully, things will continue at the slow pace they have been and it won't be long before your foot is healed and you can join us in the field." he said and Jessie smiled, squeezing Reid's hand.

"Yes, sir." she said. Then a worried look crossed her face. "Am I going have to wear a uniform? A suit or something?" she asked. Aaron grinned.

"No, no uniform. Just dress clean and comfortably." he said and Jessie nodded.

"Yes sir." she said and Aaron raised a hand.

"My team calls me Hotch." he said. Jessie smiled at him.

"Yes-" she paused. "I mean, yes, Hotch." she said. Aaron nodded and walked out.

"So, it looks like you'll be working with me." Reid said and Jessie grinned.

"Sure does." she said and kissed the back of his hand. "Think you can handle an old devil dog?" she asked. Reid shrugged.

"I always have had a soft spot for dogs." he said.

* * *

It was on crutches, but Jessie made it to her promotion ceremony. With Spencer's help, she had managed to make it into her dress blues. It wasn't exactly dignified, but she made it.

"Corporal Caitlin Amelia Morgan, step, er, swing foward." the Drill Instuctor called, taking stock of Jessie's crutches. Jessie followed orders and stood proudly as General Kendrick walked up to her.

"Corporal. For three years you reported in by phone on the fifth of every month, religiously. For three years you hid from the man who attempted to and ultimately killed your family. For these actions, for trying to protect the ones you love, you are hereby awarded with the Corps. Commendation for Loyalty." General Kendrick said and Jessie's eyes widened, then she straightened, sticking her chest out.

"Sir, thank you, sir!" she said. General Kendrick nodded.

"I'm not finished yet, Corporal. For three years you were physically absent and yet your good conduct, both on base and off-base, and don't think we weren't watching, was not. You may have physically missed Promotion Tests, but your record did not. You are hereby endowed with the rank, duties and authority of a Sargent of the United States Marine Corps." he said and Jessie saluted.

"Sir, thank you sir!" she said. Kendrick nodded and Jessie, after a second of figuring the logistics, moved back into her place in line. Reid smiled at her and Jessie smiled back. After the last of promotions was handed out, the Drill Instructor stepped forward.

"Atten-Hut! Left Face!" there was general shuffling as the line turned and Jessie, with the help of a fellow Marine, turned. "Present Arms!" the DI yelled and Jessie saluted, being careful of not losing her balance. That would be beyond embarrassing.

_From the halls of Montezuma,_

_To the shores of Tripoli;_

_We fight our country's battles_

_In the air, on land, and sea;_

_First to fight for right and freedom_

_And to keep our honor clean;_

_We are proud to claim the title_

_Of United States Marine._

Jessie felt herself wobbling and a hand on her shoulder steadied her. She felt the familiar tingle the of someone watching her. She wanted to look, but a member of the United States Military didn't take their eyes from the flag, even if the National Anthem wasn't playing.

_Our flag's unfurled to every breeze_

_From the dawn to setting sun;_

_We have fought in every clime and place_

_Where we could take a gun;_

_In the snow of far-off northern lands_

_And in sunny tropic scenes;_

_You will find us always on the job_

_The United States Marines._

Reid was close to bursting with pride for Jessie. She was standing there and with the exceptions of the few times when a fellow Marine had to help her she was staying upright on her own. How he loved that woman!

----

Jessie felt a tingle of electricity spark up and down her spine. No matter how many times she heard that song, she still felt that tingle from the anthem. The Marines were in her blood, her father had been a colonel, her grandfather a major and her great-grandfather a Brigadier General. Jessie loved the Corps. as much as she loved Reid. She bled green, had a leather neck and fought like a devil dog. She was Marine through and through and couldn't be prouder to wear these dress blues.

_Here's health to you and to our Corps_

_Which we are proud to serve;_

_In many a strife we've fought for life_

_And have never lost our nerve;_

_If the Army and the Navy_

_Ever look on Heaven's scenes;_

_They will find the streets are guarded_

_By United States Marines._

"Hoo-rah!" came the gut deep bellow. The applause that followed rang through the auditorium.

"Dismissed!" the DI yelled and the line marched, or swung in Jessie's case, off the stage and she managed to get off the stage with a little help from a Lance Corporal.

"Thank you, Lance Corporal." she said and the junior enlisted saluted.

"You're welcome, Saregent." he said and Jessie returned the salute as Reid, Derek, Garcia and Prentiss walked over. Jessie kissed Reid and smiled at the others.

"The Docs said it'd be a while before I was up to field work, but I can do light work, like paperwork or something. And my little genius here can help me learn to fill it out." Jessie said patting Reid's cheek. He flushed and smiled at her.

"Oh, good. 'Cause, darlin', I got a lot of paperwork for you." Morgan said and them lead towards the exit of the auditorium. Reid made sure to walk beside Jessie as Derek walked slowly to accomdate her.

"Hey, now wait a minute, I can't do all your paperwork for you, Derek. Just some of the run off!!" Jessie said and swung faster to keep up with him. The senior agent laughed as he held the doors open for the others.

"You'd be surprised just how much run-off there is." Emily said. Jessie groaned.

"Here I thought I was done with paperwork." she said. Rossi chuckled.

"You're a sargent, paperwork is part of the job." he said. Jessie looked at Reid.

"Think I can go back inside and get a demotion? Maybe back down to private?"

* * *

Fin.

* * *

+7/


End file.
